Yogurt and smoothie maker, Freshens, is introducing what they call, “the first renewable and compostable paper cold cup,” the ecotainer. The new, eco cup uses Polylactic Acid (PLA) to create a water-resistant barrier on the paperboard. PLA is a biopolymer derived from plant sugars. The company will intro the new cup in select stores in September and at all its doors later in the fall. Consumers in the United States alone use about 40 billion paper and 25 billion plastic and foam cups every year.
The new cup does cost a little more.
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It is great that Freshens sees the value in this type of cup. However, they aren’t the first or only. My client, StalkMarket announced a similar cup this May http://stalkmarketproducts.com/sm_pdf/Jaya_and_Planet_Plus.pdf. The good news is that StalkMarket’s Planet Plus hot cups are available to consumers as well as the food service industry so anyone who wants to use an environmentally superior option to plastic lined cups can do so.
This is not the first compostable and renewable cold cup using PLA coatings. There are other companies that already have such a product.
Freshens ecotainer is the frist COLD cup to launch nationally. Freshens didn’t say HOT cup and we weren’t referring to small local launches.